Fabric



Patented Sept. 12,; 1950 1 1 UNUED manic 'g Alfred L, Helwah, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application October 18, 1946,` Serial No. 704,210

s claims. (o1. 139-426) textile fabric having improved means providing a unique reflection of light to provide a ribbed effect which is wholly or essentially optical in a fabric having'a smooth surface.

u In ymy Patent No. 1,822,889 for aabriaissued September '15, 1931, I described a textile having M warp yarns of regular and reverse twist-.arranged in alternate, single succession to provide an optical rib effect transverse to the warp. While this fabric was satisfactory, the principle involved was relatively inflexible or limited inscope and l did not lend itself to theproduction of fabrics having other qualities' desired by the trade.

It is therefore an object of the invention tl furnish afabricof improved construction accorci-y ing to the principle involving the use of long and short staple warp yarns arranged in alternate single succession, only one of these yarns requiring a substantial degree of twist.

' I have discovered that ifa yarn consisting of a "short staple, the ends of which provide a fuzzy appearing yarn is disposed in alternate single succession with long staple yarns of sube stantial twist, such short staple yarnaifords such a light veifect'by reiiection or contrast with the adjacent twist surfaces as to furnish a pronounced optical rib transverse to theyarns, where the number of these yarns substantially exceeds the number of yarns at right angles thereto. The short staple yarn may or may not have substantial twist. This invention lendsitself to various novel extensions of the principlecinvolved.

Another object of the invention is to provide afabric of improved construction which is at once durable and soft while utilizing conventional yarns woven on ordinary looms.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an improved inexpensive fabric having the de sirable'qualities of a cotton textile and possessing a softened appearance and a deep seated luster.

Another object of the invention is the provisionof a fabric having a ribbed effect and improved features,-affording a soft hand,adapted to ydrapelike wool, and being of espe'cialyadvantage for the manufacture of mens dressA shirts, with outer surfaces of uniform color and 2 shade-and perfectly smooth as distinguished from fabrics vhaving mechanical rib formations.

- Certain of the above mentioned advantages are best realized by a warp utilizing a short staple yarn made of a material softer than cotton and having a` suitable luster, the preferred material being rayon, the yarn of which possess very little twist and affords a substantial number of ends-'on the short staplesy used, thus producing a fuzziness partially shielding the luster and at the Sametime cooperating with the twist sur faces ofthe long staple, relatively hard cotton orsimilar material to produce an accentuated optical rib effect transverse to the .warp and characterized by a deep seated luster to enhance the'appearance of `a fabric which isinexpensve the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the an-I nexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an enlarged view of a piece of fabric' embodying the invention. V

Fig; 2 is a further enlargement illustrating what may be considered to be a modification of` the invention. y

Fig. 3 is a view offa piece of fabric showing the optical rib effect according tothe construction of Figs. l and 2.

The advantages ofthe invention as here out" lined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined, but useful ernbodiments may be produced involving less than the whole.

iIt-willlbe obvious to thoseskilledin the art to which the invention appertains, that the same maybe incorporated in several diierent constructions. 1 rI-l'le accompanying drawing, therefore,` is

submitted merely as showing a preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, It denotes a fabric embodying the invention and having an interwoven warp and weft, the former illustrated herein as extending horizontally, the fabric being characterized by a ribbed effect II extending vertically transversely to the Warp. The warp may consist of yarns I2 and I3 of different character arranged in alternate single succession being substantially more closely spaced than the weft yarns I ll. For example, there may be approximately 132 warp yarns per` inch and approximately 60 filling or weft yarns per inch. The warp yarns I2 may consist of a long staple material having a substantial twist; the material is desirably cotton of which the staple length is approximately 11/2 inches, with the twist being preferably standard. By a standard twist is meant the number of twist turns per inch obtained by multiplying 4.75 by the square root of the count of the yarn. By contrast, the warp yarns I3 may consist of a short stable material whose twist may be standard or preferably substantially less and may be so little as to be negligible. By y way of illustration, the yarn I3- may be formed of staples between M2 and 1 inch in length; it consists of a material preferably softer than the yarn I2, and while it may be made of silk or suitable qualities of cotton, it consists preferably of rayon having a normal twist of about 4 to 6 per inch. The filling or weft yarns I4 may consist of any suitablev material and may be either like the yarn I2 or the yarn I3 and consequently the indication of the twist thereof has been omitted, from the drawing. All of the yarns I2, I3, and I4 may be of like weight so that the fabric III has absolutely smooth surfaces and al1 of itsv yarns may be of uniform shade and color. While they luster of these yarns may also be the same,l it is preferable that certain of the warp yarns such as the yarns I3 shall have a luster contrasting with the warp yarns I2. While the latter may be regarded. as relatively hard, it is preferred that the yarns I3y shall be relatively soft.

The fabric Illis characterized in that the .yarns I3. possess a fuzzy appearance, this being due to the short staple character thereof, the ends of the staples projecting slightly to form a naplike finishv for these yarns. I have discovered that the fuzzy appearance of the warp yarns I3 has such a light reflecting character with reference to the twist surface of the yarns I2 as to produce a distinctive optical ribbed effect II transverse to the warp. In the accomplishment of this. effect, the arrangement or angle of the twist is immaterial. Thus the general. direction of the twist may be the same in bothl of the yarns I2 and I3 althoughI prefer to use opposite twists. For example, the yarn I2 may have a right-hand twist, and the yarn `I3 may have a left-hand twist, or the reverse relationship may be employed. The presence or absence' of twist, and the direction thereof is wholly immaterial in the filling yarn I4. By reason of the superior strength of regular long staple cotton, I have shown in Fig. 2 a fabric I5 which is exactly like the fabric IIl except that the filling yarn I6 is shown as consisting of a long staple cotton that may in all respects be like the yarn I2 whereby the rib effect is more pronounced.

Heretofore I had discovered that by the employment of warp yarns having regular and reverse twist disposed in alternate single succession, a. ribbed effect was produced of purely optical character and which faded out as the number of yarns for each alternation was increased until eventually a simple and ordinary stripe effect was obtained. According to the present invention I have discovered that by providing a single fuzzy appearing yarn such as I3 between the substantially twisted yarns I2, there is an interplay of light which produces a ribbed effect of an optical character and which is even more accentuated or pronounced than that afforded by my previous fabric. This invention, which I could not foresee from my previous discovery opens up the possibility for many further improvements in fabric construction with corresponding advantages and without increasing the cost of the fabric. Among other things, the sheen of the fabric could be increased by the use of inexpensive rayon:A which imparted to the fabric as a whole what is known to the trade as a deep seated luster and is considered to 'be highly desirable. The fabric acquired greater softness and a superior feel or hand; it lent itself readily to draping and to other purposes for which woolens are used and was especially adapted for. use in making mens shirts. At the same time the cotton yarn assured strength and durability to the fabric. Thus new fabrics having important and distinctive advantages can be produced by utilizing well-known or standard yarns woven in a conventional manner and on ordinary looms.

However, the invention may also be practised by using short staple yarns I3 of substantial twist, the relatively high twist adding tothe strength of the yarn. In that case, the long staple yarn I2 may or may not have a relatively low twist.

Iclaim:

1. A textile fabric having interwoven warp and weft yarns with the former more closely spaced than the latter, the weft consisting of relatively long staple yarns, the warp consist- I ing of long staple yarns with intermediate short staple yarns arranged in alternate single succession, the latter of these consisting substantially entirely of staples so short as to provide ends sufficient in number to afford a fuzzy surface for such yarns, these short staple yarns being lustrous, and the other warp yarns` being twisted and consisting substantially entirely of staples of such substantial length as to produce a non-fuzzy yarn surface contrasting with the surface of the short staple yarns to thus directly produce an optical ribbed effect transverse to the warp with the fabric characterized by a moderate, deep seated lustre lafforded by the short staple fuzzy yarn surfaces.

2. A textile fabric having interwoven Warp and weft yarns, the Warp yarns being more closely spaced than the filling yarns, the warp consisting of long staple cotton yarns with intermediate short staple' lustrous spun rayon yarns arranged' in alternatesingle succession, the weft consisting substantially solely of relatively long staple cotton yarns, the cotton warp yarns consisting essentially of long staple cottonv having a substantial twist and affording a smooth, relatively hard surface, the rayon warp yarns consisting essentially of rayonstaples s0 short as to. afford a multitude of ends sufficient to afford fuzzy relatively soft surface, the surfaces of the cottonand rayon warp yarns` cooperating to producel an optical ribbed effect transverse tothe warp, with a deep seated luster at the rayon yarns.

3. A textile fabric having an optical ribbed effect comprising yarns forming a warp and weft 5 of said fabric with the warp more closely spaced than the weft, the weft formed of relatively long staple yarns, the warp formed of long staple yarns of at least 11A inch staples having -a substantial twist land smooth surface and of short staple yarns of substantially 5/8 inch staples having a fuzzy surface of lustrous appearance contnasting with that of said warp long staple yarns, said warp long staple and short staple yarns being arranged in alternate single succession for producing said optical ribbed eflect transversely of the Warp.

ALFRED L. HELWITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,732,832 Campbell Oct. 22, 1929 1,931,023 I-Ielwth Oct. 17, 1933 2,119,468 Coulter, Jr. May 31, 1938 2,122,175 Coulter, Jr June 28, 1938 2,329,452 Bloch Sept. 14, 1943 Bloch July 1, 1947 

